Dubai, UAE – His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Annual Government Challenge, with its first edition dedicated to Agentic AI. The challenge was announced in early November 2026 alongside UAE Innovation Month.
The initiative invites employees and teams from federal ministries and entities to design AI solutions that redesign government services and operations, improve decision-making and raise performance. It is overseen by the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs.
AED 9 million in prizes
A total of AED 9 million will be awarded to nine winning projects across three categories:
- Government Services: customer-facing solutions that simplify and speed up service journeys
- Internal Operations: improvements to internal procedures, coordination and decision-making
- Unconventional Ideas: bold models that reimagine the role of government
How entries will be judged
- Strategic importance
- Quality and feasibility of the solution
- Suitability of the Agentic AI application
- Measurable impact and scalability
- Governance and sustainability
Part of a bigger goal
Each annual edition will focus on a national priority. This first edition is a step towards the UAE’s target of moving 50% of government sectors, services and operations to Agentic AI models within two years. Federal teams can register through challenge.gov.ae.
For businesses, the push signals growing demand from government for AI agents, automation and data services – and more AI-powered public services for residents.
Source: TechX Media.
